Under the Scalpel 07.23.09: Green Day, Dirty Projectors, Daughtry, Moby, Buzz Aldrin and More

Posted by Mark Ingoldsby on 07.23.2009

Green Day steals and still sucks, Dirty Projectors walk the line between indie and bubblegum, Daughtry taps the ol' maple tree, Moby mixes cute with melancholy, Buzz Aldrin is "so gangsta", and much more! These heavily biased reviews are brought to you by the sometimes humorous, always heartless guitarist of the hard rock band A Simple Complex.

"Under the Scalpel: Dissecting Pop Culture One Song at a Time" is a weekly column written by Mark Ingoldsby, songwriter and guitarist for the hard rock band A Simple Complex. Download three free tracks that will rock your panties off at www.asimplecomplex.com

Green Day – 21 Guns
Repeat Offenders Burglarize Another Old Hit



Green Day is arguably the king of modern-day plagiarism. Every time I hear a new song from this band, I feel like a contestant on the game show "Name That (Other Band's) Tune." Their latest single, "21 Guns," is no exception.

The band's list of artistic infringement goes back almost two decades. Their 1992 song "Christie Road" made a not-so-subtle swipe from one of the biggest rock songs in history – Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Sure, the pattern of Cobain's famous four-chord riff has been inverted from "low-high-low-high" to "high-low-high-low." Otherwise, the riffs, and ensuing drumbeats, are identical.

The list goes on. To name a few: "Walking Contradiction" is a sped-up, slightly-modified version of the "Always Coca Cola" song from Coke's old TV commercials. "Warning" is an almost exact copy of the 1968 Kinks' song "Picture Book." "Waiting" mugged Petula Clark and ran off with the hook from her 1964 hit "Downtown." And, the band pick-pocketed a riff from Dillinger Four while touring with them in Japan to score their first Hot 100 hit "American Idiot" (which also filches its chorus from Korean musician Jo Young Nam's song "Dosiyo Annyung.")

But their worst offense is their 2005 single "Jesus Of Suburbia." I nearly drove off of the road the first time I heard it. A couple of minutes into the track, "Suburbia" unmistakably pilfers the melodies from both Motley Crue's "On With The Show" and Bryan Adams' mega-hit "Summer of '69" – one right after the other. Every time I hear it, I get the uncontrollable urge to attach 12" records of Too Fast For Love and Reckless to Green Day vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong's head with a nail gun.

So it comes as no surprise that "21 Guns" is another bag of stolen goods. Not only has Green Day copied the opening of Avril Lavigne's single "Complicated" and pasted it onto the beginning of this song, but while repeatedly humming the hook of "21 Guns" on the way to the restroom a few days ago, it finally hit me which song they pillaged: a Mott The Hoople track, penned by David Bowie, named "All The Young Dudes."

Simply replace Green Day's "Twenty-one guns" lyric with "All the young dudes." Then replace "Lay down your guns. Give up the fight" with "Boogaloo dudes. Carry the news." Ta-da! It's the same damn song.

Moving past this, let's determine if there are any redeeming qualities to this tune. For starters, the verse lyrics aren't terribly original or moving. Armstrong moans apathetically through a series of war-related metaphors (posed as a series of rhetorical questions) which are directed at a person who is failing at life after burning bridges with the song's storyteller.

"Do you know what's worth fighting for?
When it's not worth dying for? …
Did you try to live on your own?
When you burned down the house and home? …
You're in ruins."

Apparently it's time for this person to tuck their proverbial tail between their legs and rebuild those burnt bridges that will lead back home. "Lay down your arms, give up the fight," Armstrong advises dejectedly, "Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I." These lyrics are mediocre at best.

Musically, the song offers very little to get excited about. After the dull acoustic intro, a lackluster "boomp, tat, boomp, boomp, tat" beat begins playing. Each guitar chord is strummed lazily for a full measure. An unimaginative piano track fills in the cracks. When the chorus hits, predictably the distortion pedal gets stomped on. Then come the pretty, overproduced vocal harmonies. Yawn!

It's scary that people actually use the word "punk" to describe this band. Snore. Zzzzz. Wake me up when "21 Guns" ends, if you catch my drift. It's boring, trite, uninspired and a complete rip-off of other songs. Don't waste any time on it.

Rating: * (1 out of 5)
If You Like: Avril Lavigne, Mott The Hoople

Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is The Move
Please Tell Me If I Like This Song



Summer just isn't summer without a fresh, new, catchy pop tune to crank up on your way to the beach. Unfortunately, I despise most pop songs because they pander to the masses, rehashing old hooks, tricks and clichés to lure the ignorant and uncaring into buying tired and familiar chord structures with a side of reheated, corny lyrics.

However, when someone can break new ground with a cool, stimulating tune that's brave enough to take a new approach in earning instant appeal, I am very interested. And I can't decide if "Stillness Is The Move", the latest single from Dirty Projectors, is this season's theme song or just more pop trash.

The group is often tagged with terms like "lo-fi," "indie rock," and "experimental." But "Stillness" is none of those. It is better defined as a mid-90s-style, alternative-dance number that brings back memories of radio-ready songs from Tori Amos' Boys For Pele, Choirgirl Hotel, and To Venus And Back, as well as Bjork's Post.

"Stillness" kicks off with a looped beat best described as War's "Low Rider," complete with cowbell, slowed-down to an almost "gangsta beat" tempo. As the song continues, the music creates a moderately-perky, Peter Gabriel-esque vibe as heard in songs like "Shaking The Tree" or "The Barry Williams Show."

The song's production seems to be intentionally minimalist, allowing each element to stand out clearly in the mix. Percussion sounds are punchy and bright. The guitar introduces a pronounced, repetitive lick that sounds like it was originally written using a sitar or fiddle. For the most part, the song remains thin, making it simple, yet curious.

But did they take it too far?

"Stillness" is almost too catchy. A perfect example of "too catchy" is Chumbawumba's 1997 hit "Tubthumping," a song that went from fresh to rotten faster than a smashed apple on a tropical beach.

Vocalist Amber Coffman has an incredible voice. She belts out multi-octave staccato notes with ease, rivaling Mariah Carey. Second vocalist Angel Deradoorian delivers beautiful harmonies throughout most of the track. Although these ladies are whiter than Wonder Bread, they give the song an almost R&B feel with their climbing and descending "aahs" and "oohs".

Plus, "Stillness" is a love song, further adding to the tune's mainstream feel.

"I know that I will always love you,
From now until forever, baby,
I can't imagine anything better."

Band mastermind Dave Longstreth is an admitted fan of pop albums. He recently mentioned that he had been listening to Janet Jackson's Control quite a bit. As "Stillness" plays, I can feel the influence of her cookie-cutter pop ditties "When I Think Of You" and "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" oozing out from beneath the "indie rock" sticker affixed to the band's reputation.

The song's music video features the band's three female members doing the kind of synchronized dancing audiences have come to expect from a Britney Spears or TLC production. It's a bit odd watching them, dressed like gypsies on the top of a mountain in Vermont, dancing around like En Vogue. But it helps to further spotlight the song's identity crisis, torn between being "experimental" like Portishead and Ruby, and "bubble gum" like Christina Aguilera and Rihanna.

I've listened to the song a dozen times now and still find myself simultaneously enjoying and disliking it. So please help me figure out if I'll still be listening to this song next year on my way to some catch some rays by the ocean. Or will I be rolling my eyes when it comes on – the same way I do now when I start to hear "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're neh-ever gonna keep me down…"

Rating: Pending
If You Like: Bjork (1995), Ruby, Tori Amos (1996-1999)

The Six Pack: A half-dozen quick song reviews in an easy-to-carry cooler!

Aqua – Back to the 80's
One hit wonders Aqua, known for their annoying yet comical song "Barbie Girl," aren't scoring a second hit with their latest song "Back to the 80s." Sure, the song includes fun references to 1980's culture like The Breakfast Club, Twisted Sister, 7-Up, Mister T, skinny leather ties and the Commodore 64 (I actually have one of those sitting in a box in the next room as I type this). Unfortunately, bad vocals, lame music, and mindless repetition make this song a total failure. I will, however, give kudos to the line, "When Eminem was just a snack and Michael Jackson's skin was black."

Rating: * (1 out of 5)
If You Like: Ace Of Base, Real McCoy, Spice Girls

Black Stone Cherry – Things My Father Said
Black Stone Cherry is best known for rocking balls. Unfortunately with their latest single, they have jumped on the new millennium monster ballad bandwagon with a boring little number that completely lacks their signature bold riffage and kick-ass drum work. The song starts off with a touching piano and violin intro that captures the vibe of artists like Five For Fighting or Sarah McLachlan. When the hard guitars finally prepare to kick in, they fizzle into a way-too-simple melody for this band. I must say that I'm glad the song's lyrics aren't about the girl he loves/loved/wants to love/broke up with and wants back. Instead, this song is a fairly moving tribute from a son to his deceased father. "I hope my father knows the seeds we've sown still grow," vocalist Chris Robertson wails, "I hope you always know the car that we built will always roll." This track's picturesque lyrics get five stars, but its bland music and trite chorus of "Somewhere there's a star that's shining so bright that I can see you smile" get only two.

Rating: *** (3 out of 5)
If You Like: Daughtry, Evans Blue, Hinder, Shinedown

Buzz Aldrin – Rocket Experience
On the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, Buzz "Doc Rendezvous" Aldrin is boldly going where no (white 79-year-old) man has gone before – into hip-hop. "I have only two aspirations," Aldrin confesses, "Space exploration and hip-hop." Snoop Dogg, Quincy Jones, Talib Kweli, and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em were recruited to help make this track a reality, effectively "launching" Aldrin's rap career. (How many more stupid space references can I cram into this review?) Without the help of autotune, which he says is "all played out," Aldrin has made a song that is pretty... fly. (Ok, enough dumb space references.) What really needs to be addressed here is: Is Aldrin's move to urban music legit? Kweli answers with, "Buzz Aldrin is so gangsta," as he sits reading the former astronaut's book. Snoop also gave his stamp of approval, offering, "Buzz, dat's my cuz." While I can't say that I particularly loved this song, I will admit that its hook, "All you need is a rocket experience," was stuck in my head for several days after watching Snoop coach Aldrin on the line. Pick it up on iTunes if you want to support the non-profit foundation ShareSpace, which aims to promote science and space exploration.

Rating: N/A
If You Like: Denny "Average Homeboy" Hazen, Rappin' Granny, William Shatner

Cheap Trick – Transformers: The Fallen (Remix)
Linkin Park, Green Day, Nickelback, Staind, Hoobastank and... Cheap Trick? Yes, the pop rock band that's been around for over 30 years is featured on the Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen movie soundtrack alongside several 1990s post-grunge rock groups. What was their contribution to this modern rock compilation? A cover of the theme to the Transformers cartoon show. You may now lower your raised eyebrow, because, believe it or not, they actually do a pretty good job with it. Lead vocalist Robin Zander takes the song quite seriously as he belts out the lyrics, "Transformers: more than meets the eye. Transformers: robots in disguise." The song surprisingly works, effectively delivering the band's distinct pop rock sound to a new generation. Don't get me wrong: it's no "Surrender" or "Dream Police." But I was not laughing at it like I had anticipated doing. On a side note, if you like this song, be sure to pick up the band's latest album on 8-track cassette. Seriously. See for yourself.

Rating: *** (3 out of 5)
If You Like: um... Cheap Trick

Daughtry – No Surprise
Nickelb... um, I mean Daughtry follows up his debut album, and its seven charting singles, with another cookie-cutter, post-grunge rock song about love and loss. It truly is "No Surprise" that Daughtry has tapped the ol' maple tree for his sophomore album's lead single and provided enough sap to cover every pancake and Adult Contemporary chart in the nation. "Our favorite place we used to go. The warm embrace that no one knows," he laments, "The loving look that's left your eyes. That's why this comes as no surprise." If you're one of those starry-eyed girls who falls for every modern monster ballad that slides down the pike, "Gotta Be Someb...", I mean, "No Surprise," is perfect for you. Everybody else, however, should avoid this hot air. And please pass the goo gone.

Rating: ** (2 out of 5)
If You Like: 3 Doors Down (ballads), Nickelback (ballads), Seether (ballads), Theory Of A Deadman (ballads)

Moby – Pale Horses
Like most Moby songs, "Pale Horses" is frugal with lyrical content, instead relying on its ability to create a mood and allow listeners to manufacture their own story. "Put me on the train. Send me back to my home," guest vocalist Amelia Zirin Brown sings over a sad, ethereal soundtrack, "Couldn't live without you when I tried to roam." I would compare this song to the bald one's 2000 hit, "Porcelain." Its dreamy, yet sad, atmosphere is moving and captivating. Plus, if you like cutesy mixed with melancholy, be sure to watch the animated music video for "Pale Horses," which features the adorable little character "Little Idiot," who tries, and fails, to find happiness here on Earth and then on the moon.

Rating: **** (4 out of 5)
If You Like: Beth Orton (her electronic tracks), Deep Forest, Enigma, Primitive Radio Gods